subject: Is It Possible To Schedule Multi Stop Shipments? [print this page] Sometimes it isn't clear exactly what options are open to you when you're doing business with a courier company. This is why some people aren't sure if things like requesting that their distribution logistics firm make a multi stop shipment are possible. The courier industry is one that is based on providing solutions to company problems. What this means, is that if you want a multi stop shipment to be made, there is probably a way to achieve this, it may just take some discussion and examination of the capabilities available to you from your courier.
There are a number of reasons that a company might want to make a multi stop delivery. Usually this is a product of having more than one client or customer within a single city and needing to distribute regular shipments of goods to them. In this and other similar situations, there are usually a few options that you can pick from in trying to find one that will suit you.
First, there are some shipping situations which won't work for you if you're trying to schedule a multi stop shipment with any degree of precision or organization. If you're shipping with a regular parcel carrier or on an LTL basis, you can have them make more than one delivery. However, you won't be able to dictate a route or certain delivery times, as you're at the mercy of all the other deliveries the courier has to make as well. That is why if you need a specifically structured multi stop shipment; there are better options for you to look at.
The first thing that you might want to think about is FTL shipping. This is especially practical if you're shipping several fairly large shipments to customers around the city. FTL means full truck load, and this would entail you hiring an entire truck to make all of your deliveries, allowing you to request as many stops as you might need.
For some companies though, the scale involved in hiring an FTL truck is simply beyond what they find necessary. There is also an option though, where you can subcontract a courier from a delivery company to work exclusively for your organization. These are available in every size vehicle that couriers deal in, meaning that you can find one that fits the scale of your organization. You are then free to dictate on your own what stops they will make, and in what order.
